Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lianyungang Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Lianyungang

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,223 in Phuket versus $680 in Lianyungang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,237 in Phuket versus $1,050 in Lianyungang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,251 in Phuket versus $1,421 in Lianyungang.

Living in Phuket is roughly 80% more expensive than Lianyungang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 8% lower, Lianyungang 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.51 ฿147

$3.33 ¥22.48

35.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.62 ฿1,515

$11.31 ¥76.4

312.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 ฿276

$4.41 ¥29.81

92.52%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ฿100

$1.69 ¥11.41

82.25%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 ฿22.07

$0.40 ¥2.72

70.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ฿11.75

$0.29 ¥1.96

24.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿78.8

$0.73 ¥4.92

232.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 ฿118

$2.10 ¥14.21

72.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 ฿71.1

$1.90 ¥12.86

15.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿59.0

$1.01 ¥6.85

79.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 ฿72.5

$0.96 ¥6.45

132.29%

Eggs

$2.24 ฿72.7

$1.63 ¥11.02

37.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.60 ฿637

$15.03 ¥102

30.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 ฿121

$4.10 ¥27.67

-9.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.47 ฿438

$9.30 ¥62.9

44.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 ฿109

$1.13 ¥7.61

197.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿52.5

$0.59 ¥3.97

174.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.3

$0.80 ¥5.43

201.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 ฿64.6

$0.44 ¥2.94

352.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.76

$0.71 ¥4.81

115.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 ฿47.19

$0.44 ¥2.94

229.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 ฿32.96

$0.29 ¥1.96

248.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿15.73

$0.43 ¥2.94

11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ฿139

$3.88 ¥26.23

10.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.12 ฿621

$14.30 ¥96.6

33.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 ฿59.7

$1.04 ¥6.99

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 ฿89.1

$1.59 ¥10.73

72.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 ฿46.06

$0.27 ¥1.82

425.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.72 ฿381

$16.98 ¥115

-30.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ฿97.6

$1.14 ¥7.71

163.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 ฿34.00

$0.32 ¥2.16

228.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.90 ฿452

$7.33 ¥49.49

89.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 ฿41.94

$1.12 ¥7.57

15.18%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.0K ฿911.1K

$19.8K ¥133.5K

41.85%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.5K ฿1.1M

$13.5K ¥91.5K

147.40%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$122 ฿3,964

$50.9 ¥344

139.79%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.93 ฿453

$10.77 ¥72.8

29.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.87 ฿613

$8.24 ¥55.6

129.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 ฿1,992

$42.23 ¥285

45.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.84 ฿547

$13.84 ¥93.5

21.68%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 ฿289

$4.09 ¥27.66

117.36%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$691 ฿22.5K

$276 ¥1,862

150.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K ฿525.2K

$17.0K ¥114.8K

-4.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 ฿1,878

$22.24 ¥150

159.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.39 ฿1,150

$22.57 ¥152

56.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ฿3,685

$58.6 ¥396

93.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 ฿2,698

$103 ¥693

-19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$607 ฿19.7K

$279 ¥1,883

117.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ฿14.6K

$186 ¥1,254

141.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,029 ฿66.0K

$602 ¥4,068

236.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,493 ฿48.5K

$357 ¥2,415

317.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,585 ฿116.5K

$3,253 ¥22.0K

10.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,585 ฿84.0K

$1,733 ¥11.7K

49.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$505 ฿16.4K

$590 ¥3,985

-14.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

3.81

39.90%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: June 13, 2026

Last update for Lianyungang: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $607 in Phuket and $279 in Lianyungang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lianyungang pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Phuket vs $11.00 in Lianyungang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $194 per month, with Lianyungang cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Lianyungang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lianyungang wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Phuket. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lianyungang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lianyungang earns 17% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $607 in Phuket versus $279 in Lianyungang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lianyungang runs roughly 45% less than in Phuket. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $691 in Phuket versus $276 in Lianyungang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $680 in Lianyungang versus $1,223 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lianyungang but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Lianyungang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lianyungang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $680 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lianyungang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Lianyungang are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lianyungang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.